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View Full Version : Duty belt suspenders....how are they working for you?



secondstoryguy
11-26-2014, 10:55 PM
I just bought a pair of the Tactical Tailor duty belt suspenders. They seem to be well made and comfortable but I havent worn them on duty yet. Anyone else rock suspenders in uniform? If so, what brand have you found to work and what problems have you run into when wearing them?

Lester Polfus
11-26-2014, 11:02 PM
About 12 years ago now, I saw a guy get jerked off balance and planted on the top of his head by a shitbird who grabbed hold of his duty suspenders (it was more of a "y" harness), but that guy had pretty poor officer safety skills in general, so I'm not sure I can blame the out come solely on the gear.

It is something to think about though.

MD7305
11-26-2014, 11:45 PM
I use them but we issue exterior vest carriers and the suspenders are made to channel through the vest so they aren't the traditional suspenders. I like them. Much more effective and comfortable than belt keepers. Our uniforms, exterior carriers and suspenders are made by Elbeco, I think. With the exterior vest the suspenders also help keep the vest from riding up while seated or bending over so they help in other ways aside from load bearing.

LSP972
11-27-2014, 09:23 AM
About 12 years ago now, I saw a guy get jerked off balance and planted on the top of his head by a shitbird who grabbed hold of his duty suspenders (it was more of a "y" harness), but that guy had pretty poor officer safety skills in general, so I'm not sure I can blame the out come solely on the gear.

It is something to think about though.

That's one reason why the saber strap part of the Sam Browne belt rig went away for police use in most jurisdictions.

.

Dave Williams
11-27-2014, 09:33 AM
The suspenders some of my friends use are breakaway.

John Hearne
11-27-2014, 10:20 AM
I've used the set that Blackhawk makes. They are meant to be worn under your uniform shirt and you cut slots in your shirt to allow them to connect. Overall, I was very happy with the setup and it did help with back issues.

The only problem I observed was that they connected to your duty belt by a loop that opened and closed with snaps. I had to put that in the gap on the back of the plate where my Safariland holster mounted. This was very thick and could become uncomfortable. Had I continued to use them, I was planning to cut the snaps off and sew the attachment piece into a continuous loop.

I ended up losing weight and getting into better shape so the back issues became moot and I don't use them any more. If I had to stand all day long, I think I would dig them out again

http://r1.officer.com/files/cygnus/image/OFCR/2009/DEC/640x360/ergonomicdutybeltharness_10053480.jpg

David Armstrong
11-28-2014, 04:16 PM
Can't address the suspenders, as they were not available when I was in uniform. But I did notice a distinct rise in comfort when I began using the cross-strap for the Sam Browne rig. Like Dave Williams mentioned, mine was designed to break away under significant pressure. If I was still a uniformed street cop I would wear the suspenders without hesitation.

rathos
11-28-2014, 07:30 PM
they were spendy but I bought these (http://www.backdefensesystems.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=36). They work really well and when I have to wear my class A uniform I still use them. Occasionally I will wear them with my external vest, but I don't like adjusting them to fit without the vest. I will say it took me a while to get them where they felt right and needed a second set of hands for the adjustments.

SAWBONES
11-28-2014, 09:55 PM
I've used various Perry suspenders for twenty years (http://www.perrysuspenders.com); quick on-off, comfortable, different types available for different carry weights.

The permanent loop types of load-bearing suspenders (the loops that encircle the belt) are fine, but they're far slower to get on-off.

Hizzie
11-29-2014, 02:42 PM
I wore Orca Tactical duty belt suspenders. I loved them. Amazing comfortable. The Canadian Centre for Law Enforcement did two huge studies on duty belt suspenders. One study was comfort the other was performance.